Hawks-Warriors Preview

By BRETT HUSTONPosted Feb 29 2016 10:02PM

What can Stephen Curry do for an encore?

The Atlanta Hawks have to hope they're not the ones who find out.

After three straight 40-point performances - the latest of which may have been his most awe-inspiring yet - Curry might skip Tuesday night's game against the Hawks due to an ankle injury as his Golden State Warriors try to get within one victory of the longest home streak in NBA history.

Curry began Golden State's four-games-in-six-days stretch last week with 36 points in a 102-92 win at Atlanta (33-27) - and that was his least impressive effort of the four. He had 42 in a comeback win over Miami on Wednesday, dropped 51 with 10 3-pointers on Orlando one night later and then matched an NBA record with 12 3s while scoring 46 points in a 121-118 overtime victory at Oklahoma City on Saturday.

"Everybody in this locker room, we've seen him practice from that range every day," Klay Thompson said. "He's got the greatest range I've ever seen. He makes it look so effortless."

Curry suffered a sprained ankle in the second quarter against the Thunder before returning in the third, and although it didn't keep him from knocking down the game-winning 3 from some 35 feet, it kept him out of Monday's practice and has him officially listed as questionable.

"We're not going to do anything crazy, obviously," coach Steve Kerr said of Curry, who's coming off the most productive four-game stretch (175 points) since Michael Jordan had 178 in November 1992. "We'll err on the side of caution. But if he's healthy enough to go, we'll play him."

A look at the Warriors' other game this week could give Kerr some incentive to rest Curry. Oklahoma City visits Thursday for a rematch of Saturday's classic, and that's the game when Golden State (53-5) could tie the mid-90s Bulls for the longest regular-season home winning streak in NBA history at 44.

First the Warriors will have to beat Atlanta for the second time in nine days, and Curry's potential absence would at least give the Hawks a little bit of help guarding the 3-point line. Golden State attempted a season-high 45 3s last week at Philips Arena, with Curry and Thompson each connecting on five of the 14 that went in.

The Warriors led by as many as 23 but Atlanta didn't feel empty after the loss, putting together a 33-6 second-half run that briefly gave it the lead.

Mike Budenholzer called that spurt something the Hawks could build on, and they did just that to close the week - especially on the defensive end. The Hawks held Chicago to 36.4 percent shooting Friday in a 103-88 win, then played their stingiest game of the season by limiting Charlotte to 33.3 percent in Sunday's 87-76 victory.

Al Horford was quickly looking ahead to the opener of a five-game road trip that ends in Toronto.

"It's going to be a big challenge," he said of a rematch with Golden State, "but we have a good opportunity to do well."

Horford did his part last week, finishing with 23 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, five blocks and three steals, but the Splash Brothers outscored Atlanta's starting backcourt of Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver 63-18.

Golden State has won five straight and 16 of 17, though it's doing much of this damage with little offense from its third-leading scorer. Draymond Green is averaging just 9.8 points and shooting 18.8 percent from 3 over his last nine games, and he spent Monday apologizing for an emotional halftime outburst at Oklahoma City.

"We know he'll never quit, he'll never do anything to put our production on the floor in jeopardy," Curry said. "He's invested in what we're doing. Obviously he's an emotional guy, a fiery guy. That's what we love about him, what he brings to the court."

The Hawks have by far the NBA's best defensive rating (95.8 points per 100 possessions) over the last 20 games, but they're just 10-10.

Copyright 2016 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Without Curry, Warriors top Hawks to stay perfect at home

By JANIE McCAULEYPosted Mar 02 2016 2:16AM

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Draymond Green somehow caught Andrew Bogut's baseline save pass at his knees and avoided a diving Kent Bazemore, then let the ball fly as his legs split in the air.

Green hit an off-balance 3-pointer as the shot clock expired with 40.2 seconds remaining in overtime, and the Golden State Warriors escaped with a 109-105 win against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night while Stephen Curry watched in street clothes with an injured ankle.

"It's just a desperation heave," Green said. "It's just one of those things sometimes the ball just bounces your way and that one fell for me, unlike a lot of the other ones."

Klay Thompson made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:54 remaining and another big basket at the 11.4-second mark on the way to 26 points. The Warriors won their second straight overtime game to earn a franchise-best 43rd straight regular-season home victory and 25th in a row this season.

Golden State (54-5) can tie the Bulls' 44-game unbeaten mark at home from March 30, 1995, to April 4, 1996, when the Warriors host Oklahoma City on Thursday. They are also chasing the `95-96 Chicago team's record 72-win season.

The Warriors won their sixth straight overall, improved to 5-0 in OT and haven't lost at Oracle Arena since a 113-111 defeat to the Bulls on Jan. 27, 2015.

Atlanta's Paul Millsap missed a wide open 3-pointer with 24 seconds left in regulation, and then Thompson and Bogut each missed potential winning shots in the closing seconds.

Millsap scored 19 points for Atlanta, which rallied from a 14-point deficit to force overtime before dropping to 0-4 in OT.

Reigning NBA MVP Curry sat out with a tender left ankle he injured at Oklahoma City on Saturday night before hitting the long, winning 3-pointer in overtime. Curry, with three straight 40-point games, was named Western Conference Player of the Week on Monday after averaging 43.8 points over four games.

No Curry equaled some no-shows as many prime seats were vacant.

Shaun Livingston started in Curry's place and had six points, seven rebounds and three assists in his 600th career game. Leandro Barbosa came off the bench to score nine of his 11 points in his first 5 minutes on the floor, while Bogut wound up with 19 points.

The Warriors kicked off March by the playing the first of 17 games over the final 24 at Oracle Arena after just two at home in February.

Green - playing some point guard with Curry out - added 15 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists and four steals in Golden State's first home game since Feb. 9.

His clutch shot meant plenty three days after his halftime outburst in Oklahoma City and ensuing apology.

"Draymond was due, he really was. He hasn't been making his 3s much lately but sometimes when you're struggling like that you just get one to go somehow," coach Steve Kerr said. "More than anything it was to the awareness to get it up on the rim. He just got lucky with the shot going in but he earned it."

The Warriors just completed an impressive 6-1 trip in which they won the last five following a 137-105 loss at Portland on Feb. 19 - and sealed their playoff berth, too, in the quest for another championship.

Atlanta had won two in a row leading into its four-game road swing out West.

"They made a couple of tough shots, crazy shots, and offensively we didn't get quite enough to go down for us," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said.

Golden State played back-to-back overtime games for the first time since Dec. 13-14, 2005, a win at Seattle and a loss against Houston.

HOME COOKING

Afterward, Kerr congratulated his team on keeping the home winning streak going under tough circumstances.

"I said, `How many home wins in a row is that?' And everybody had a blank stare on their face, so our guys have no clue how many we've won in a row," he said. "It's a source of pride controlling our own floor. We've done an incredible job of that since last year."

TIP-INS

Hawks: Atlanta signed veteran forward Kris Humphries, adding experienced depth to the Hawks' front line. Humphries was waived by Phoenix on Sunday. ... The Hawks lost their third straight overall to Golden State and fourth in a row in Oakland.

Warriors: Mo Speights hit a pair of 3s in the fourth and had a highlight-reel worthy block of Al Horford in the first. ... Curry missed his third game after sitting out Dec. 30-31 with a bruised lower left leg. ... Swingman Andre Iguodala did not dress, sidelined while dealing with tightness in his left hamstring. ... Golden State last won four straight at home vs. Atlanta from Feb. 23, 2003, to Nov. 2, 2005. ... The Warriors became the fastest team to 50 wins in NBA history when they won 102-92 at Atlanta on Feb. 22. ... The Warriors' three first-half turnovers matched their fewest in the opening half this season.

UP NEXT

Hawks: At the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.

Warriors: Host Thunder on Thursday after 121-118 overtime win at Oklahoma City on Saturday.

Copyright 2016 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited